Manchester United recovered from an early setback but could only take a point from their meeting with West Ham United, as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Diafra Sakho opened his account for the season on 90 seconds, powering home a fine Dimitri Payet free kick which was soon cancelled out by Zlatan Ibrahimovic's headed flick-on.
Both teams had chances to win the game in the second half, particularly the Red Devils who just could not find a way past Darren Randolph as they ended all square on home soil for the fourth league game in succession.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford. Both teams are in need of three points this afternoon for different reasons; the Red Devils aiming to keep in touching distance of the chasing pack at the top, while visitors West Ham are locked in a relegation battle with nearly a third of the season played.
West Ham are outside the drop zone on goal difference alone, in fact, albeit with this game in hand at Old Trafford, and face a tough run of fixtures over the coming few weeks. This is the first of a double-header between these two teams here, as the Irons travel back to Manchester in just a few days' time for an EFL Cup quarter-final tie. Two wins from two and Bilic will be a hero once more; two defeats and his time may well be up if some reports are to be believed.
TEAM NEWS!
MANCHESTER UNITED XI: De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Darmian; Herrera, Pogba; Rashford, Mata, Lingard; Ibrahimovic
WEST HAM UNITED XI: Randolph; Kouyate, Collins, Ogbonna; Antonio, Noble, Obiang, Cresswell; Payet, Sakho, Lanzini
Let us start by checking out the home team, then, which shows six changes from the midweek win over Feyenoord. This team is now more in line with the team we saw last weekend against Arsenal, which is a little surprising because Wayne Rooney and, in particular, outcast Henrikh Mkhitaryan both impressed when given a chance in the Europa League. Both those players are left out this afternoon, though, with Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard named in the three-man attacking midfield.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns from the 1-1 draw against Arsenal after being suspended for that one, while David de Gea, Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian and Ander Herrera join Lingard and Rashford in regaining their places in the starting lineup from the Feyenoord clash. With Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly still absent through injury, Phil Jones is now the only truly recognised central defender in this United side.
Jones achieves something today that he failed to do in the whole of the last campaign - start four games in succession. Ahead of him will be Paul Pogba and Herrera, as Jose Mourinho sticks with this 4-2-3-1 formation that he has become so attached to, despite the mixed - some would say underwhelming - results thus far. Anthony Martial has been told that he must do more to impress, but he will feel aggrieved to have missed out today as he has scored with all three shots on target in games against West Ham.
In terms of the visitors, boss Slaven Bilic has also decided to change things around slightly from the 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Mark Noble returns from suspension to take his place in the engine room for the Hammers, while the experienced James Collins is named in the heart of defence in place of Winston Reid, who is himself beginning a ban due to the red card he was shown late on at White Hart Lane eight days ago.
Andre Ayew is the other player to drop out, but there is a place in the starting XI for Pedro Obiang who has managed to overcome an ankle injury in time to feature. Dimitri Payet, linked with a move to today's opponents, has created a league-high 43 chances for his teammates this term but only four have been converted. That tells you all you need to know about the Irons' troubles in front of goal, with none of their strikers yet to register. Diafra Sakho will be looking to change that over the next couple of hours.
The other talking point comes in goal, where Darren Randolph is preferred to Adrian. If reports this week are to be believed then Bilic is on the lookout for a new goalkeeper ahead of the winter transfer window, so this is another chance for Randolph to impress and nail down a regular starting place. As well as silky wideman Payet, the Hammers' other major threat is England international Michail Antonio, who could set a Premier League record this afternoon if he scores with his head (more on that a little later).
BENCH WATCH!
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Blind, Fellaini, Schweinsteiger, Mkhitaryan, Rooney, Young
WEST HAM UNITED SUBS: Adrian, Nordtveit, Feghouli, Zaza, Ayew, Fletcher, Fernandes
The big team news this afternoon comes on the Man United bench, as Bastian Schweinsteiger is named in the matchday squad for the first time this season. Heavily linked with a move away, having already turned down a switch in the previous transfer window, the German has now seemingly been offered a route back into the team. Rooney and Mkhitaryan drop down to the bench for the Red Devils, meanwhile, with the Hammers possibly relying on Simone Zaza and Andre Ayew for a goal should they find themselves behind come the hour mark.
Both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Wayne Rooney will feel a tad aggrieved to have been overlooked for a starting spot this afternoon, following what was Manchester United's best display of the season last time out against Feyenoord. Rooney in particular has managed to step things up, playing a part in 14 goals in his last 13 outings. Another goal for the Englishman this afternoon and he will draw level with Sir Bobby Charlton as the club's all-time leading scorer.
After another dramatic day of Premier League action on Saturday, Man United find themselves still occupying sixth place but now with a big chance to make up some ground on Tottenham Hotspur above them. The Red Devils cannot really afford to drop any more points this side of Christmas if they are to prevent Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City - all winners yesterday - from pulling out of sight before the New Year is here.
The hosts have actually gone three games without defeat in the Premier League, but break the statistics down a little and it is one win in six and just two in their last nine - not exactly form of a side with aspirations of ending their title drought. United, who were pegged back late on by Arsenal here eight days ago, have now failed to win back-to-back games in the top flight since the opening month of the campaign when they truly hit the ground running under Mourinho.
Mourinho's charges have particularly struggled to put away teams on home soil, being held to three-successive draws in games against Stoke City, Burnley and Arsenal. The latter of the three is far from a dismal result, though it will feel just as bad as being held by lowly Stoke and Burnley as they led in that clash heading into the final minute of the match. Incidentally, the Red Devils last drew four league matches in a row at home back in 1980.
That means you have to go back a full two months since their last home triumph in the league - a comprehensive 4-1 win over champions Leicester City in a performance that has only really been matched, or even bettered once: The 4-0 win over Feyenoord three days ago. That win over the Dutch side has helped keep the Red Devils on course for the knockout stages of the Europa League, though a point could still be required against minnows Zorya Luhansk early next month.
It is certainly not all doom and gloom for Man United, then, with an EFL Cup quarter-final to look forward to against the Hammers here on Wednesday, too, meaning that they are still on course to win each competition that they are competing in. Make no mistake about it - winning the Premier League is the target for Mourinho, especially after spending so much money in the summer to bring a few players on board, on top of the free signing of Ibrahimovic from Paris Saint-Germain.
If they are to seriously mount a title charge, then nine points will likely have to be taken from games against West Ham, Everton and Spurs in the next two-and-a-half weeks. Man United's current tally of 19 points from a possible 36 is their second worst at this stage of a campaign in Premier League history, behind only the 2004-05 campaign when they registered one point fewer.
Despite the disappointing league start, supporters are still largely in a confident mood thanks to Mourinho's improved style of play, although that said anything was an improvement on what those inside Old Trafford witnessed under Louis van Gaal. To emphasise that point, the Red Devils have racked up 203 shots so far this season - 80 more than at this stage last term. The play is more positive, but the results are still very underwhelming at Old Trafford on the whole.
Only once before in Premier League history have Manchester United made a worse start to a Premier League campaign; that coming in 2004-05 when picking up one point fewer than the 19 they currently have. Victory for the Red Devils this afternoon will make things look a little more positive, though, particularly on the back of a fine performance against Feyenoord three days ago when everything seemed to click into gear in an attacking sense.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! West Ham United had lost eight games in a row to Manchester United at Old Trafford prior to picking up two draws here last season - 0-0 in the Premier League and 1-1 in the FA Cup. It is just the two wins in the last 23 here, though, with 20 of those ending in defeat. They faced off four times in total across the 2015-16 campaign, and they have also been pitted together in the EFL Cup quarters this time around.
A tough afternoon in store for the visitors, then, if recent history is anything to go by. The Irons find themselves down in 17th place ahead of this game and now outside on the relegation zone on goal difference alone. That said, should they win this game in hand they will make a giant leap into 13th place, showing just how tight things remain in the lower half of the table at this point. In contrast, win or draw and Man United will likely stay in sixth, depending on how Everton get on elsewhere.
Bilic's men did show signs of improvement in October when picking up successive wins for the first time and taking seven points from a possible 12. It is now becoming increasingly clear that positive streak was merely helping to paper over the cracks, though, with just one point from nine in the weeks since - including a disappointing 3-2 loss to London rivals Spurs last week as they let slip a lead heading into the closing stages at White Hart Lane.
It will likely get better for West Ham before it gets better, too, as this tough fixture at Old Trafford is followed up with games against Arsenal and Liverpool over the next fortnight. Bilic has been given a stay of execution of sorts by his own players, with Randolph the latest to back his manager following this real disappointing run of form. The stats are pretty damning, though - five defeats from six on the road, an early exit from the Europa League and a potential relegation battle come the tail end of the season.
Furthermore, United have used a total of 26 different players across these opening 12 games of the season - a joint-high along with Sunderland. Seven players have been sent off since Bilic took charge, meanwhile, which is also a league high in that particular department. Whether it is discipline, defending or getting a striker to actually put the ball in the net, West Ham just cannot seem to get a break at this moment in time and are now in desperate need of a change.
DID YOU KNOW? West Ham United have scored 10 goals in 20 Premier League games at Old Trafford and never more than once in a single game. In Michail Antonio they have a man who knows how to find the net, however, with 11 headed goals already in 2016 - a Premier League record for a calendar year, shared with Tim Cahill, with each of his last six coming via his head.
With kickoff at Old Trafford now a little under 10 minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Jose Mourinho: "When I won the last title 18 years ago - sorry, 18 months ago - I had something like 10 points advantage and then in one month I had the same points as Man City. We recovered and won that title. But you can recover points. Other teams can lose points. During the season there are moments where everything goes against you and where everything goes in your favour. We know that the game is not over - but the reality is that there is a distance, and there are many quality teams."
Slaven Bilic: "I speak to the owners, mostly Mr Sullivan, regularly after every game and in between if something needs talking about. I feel supported...I'm not fearful. I feel pressure, of course, because we are not producing, we're not delivering and we don't have enough points to feel happy and to feel safe. But I see the improvement. Against Spurs I saw a team hungry and alive, the points were there for us in a difficult away game, so that's what I'm confident about."
Mourinho making a fair point there, reminiscing about better times when he won the Premier League with Chelsea just a couple of seasons back. The Blues saw their big lead at the summit slashed by Man City, before again pulling away to get over the line with relative ease. The Portuguese must now do the opposite with new club Man United, but this time the pressure must also be sustained over the next five months or so until the season's end.
Bilic says that he is "not fearful", meanwhile, which is the standard stock phrase for managers when they are feeling fearful. There is no denying that the Croat is feeling the heat, despite being loved by supporters after rejoining the club and guiding them to such an impressive final campaign at Upton Park but, realistically speaking, the Irons will likely spend Christmas in the bottom three unless they pull off a shock result in these next few weeks.
Both sets of players are now making their way down the tunnel area, with kickoff at Old Trafford now just a couple of minutes away. The hosts is desperate need of three points to keep up the pressure on the division's top-five sides, while West Ham need a win - or at the very least a draw - to just about stay afloat at the bottom end of the division. Six changes for the Red Devils; two alterations made by Bilic.
KICKOFF! West Ham United, sporting their white and sky blue away strip, get us up and running at Old Trafford. Plenty of noise being made by the visiting fans early on, as Manchester United wideman Lingard gives away an early free kick.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 WEST HAM UNITED (DIAFRA SAKHO)
Wets Ham take the lead at the Theatre of Dreams inside 90 seconds, thanks to Diafra Sakho's first goal of an injury-hit season - and the first time a recognised striker has scored for the Hammers this term! It came from that sloppy free kick Lingard conceded, which Payet crossed superbly for Sakho to get ahead of Ibrahimovic and divert past De Gea.
Rashford sends the ball into the box, but there is too much on it for Ibrahimovic to even make an attempt at heading it goalwards. No Carrick for Man United this afternoon, remember, so a big shift will need to be put in by Herrera alongside Pogba.
That was actually the second-quickest goal Man United have conceded at Old Trafford in Premier League history. Ibrahimovic was the man most at fault for the hosts, allowing Sakho to get ahead of him, and his attempt to draw the scores level is ended by the offside flag.
No surprise to see the hosts on top since that early West Ham breakthrough, but they have yet to fire away a shot on target. Sakho does well to charge toward the opposition goal and draws a foul out of Herrera, taking the sting out of things.
A patient Man United move comes to an end when Pogba says enough is enough and blasts high over the bar. The Red Devils have responded well enough since going behind, but Bilic will be happy enough with what he is seeing.
Very disappointing for the hosts, as Rashford works a one-on-one situation on the right but fails to pick out a teammate. Strange seeing him in a wide starting position when he was so prolific through the middle when brought in last term.
SHOT! A first attempt on goal for the home side, coming via Mata who got away a rather tame attempt from 15 yards out when spotted by Ibrahimovic. Not enough room to truly set himself for that one, with Randolph easily collecting.
Had the scoreline been at 0-0 this would be described as a decent-enough start to the game for Man United, but the fact that they are behind means that they need to step things up by injecting more pace into the game. Still a long, long way to go.
Antonio knocks the ball past Darmian and looks to have a clean run down the right-hand flank, but Rojo is across brilliantly to win the ball. West Ham in dreamland at the moment, as they can just sit back and spring the odd counter.
Sakho no doubt on a real high after finding the net for the first time this term, but Payet's ball through has a little too much on it. Edin Dzeko scored the fastest opposition goal at Old Trafford in the Premier League, after 43 seconds, in case you were wondering (thanks, Opta!)
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 WEST HAM UNITED (ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC)
You have the world's most expensive midfielder and one of the game's greatest-ever finishers, so what do you do? Go direct! Pogba chips the ball 40 yards upfield where Ibrahimovic has the simplest of tasks, simply flicking the ball over Randolph with his head to level up the scoreline.
Such a disappointing foal for the visitors to concede, because their opponents had not even looked like scoring since going behind. A weak Mata shot on target aside, the Red Devils had barely managed to trouble the Hammers' backline.
Really positive move from the hosts, as Rashford works some space down the right and hangs the ball up towards Mata. Ibrahimovic got a slight touch on the ball and took it away from his teammate, though. The hosts knocking on the door for a second.
JOSE MOURINHO SENT TO STANDS! Paul Pogba earns a yellow card for the most blatant dive you will ever see, ruling him out of Wednesday's rematch between these two sides. Mourinho is unhappy for some reason, booting a water bottle on the touchline and being sent to the stands by referee Jonathan Moss.
Mourinho will never learn, will he? United now minus a manager for the remaining hour of this match, as Mata calls for a handball decision which goes against him. Nice feel to the match now, with Rui Faria stepping in for Mourinho.
I perhaps done that Ibrahimovic leveller a little disservice. While aesthetically it was nothing more than route one, there were 22 passes in the build-up - the second-longest passing move in the Premier League this term leading to a goal.
CLOSE! Half a chance for Lingard, who got on the end of Ibrahimovic's knockdown five yards from goal but could not turn it home with an acrobatic kick. The Red Devils looking the more likely to find the game's third goal.
Not the worst attempt from Antonio, who was allowed to make his way forward and fire away from 30 yards out. De Gea always had it covered down to his left, though, with the ball trickling wide of the target in the end.
CHANCE! Cresswell with a bit of contact on Ibrahimovic inside the box. He thought about going to ground but stayed on his feet. Moments later Rashford was clean through, but Randolph kept him out with his feet.
Man United really dominating things now, continually getting the ball into the box but still having just the one goal to show for it. This match is following a familiar theme at the moment, with each of their last three home league games ending all square.
Man United supporters desperate to see this dominance equate to a goal prior to the interval but, with just two minutes of the half - plus two minutes or so added on - that is unlikely to be the case. Pogba heads wide from a corner.
CLOSE! Second near-miss in the space of a couple of minutes for the hosts, as Ibrahimovic this time knocks Mata's cross wide of the target. West Ham not exclusively sitting back, though, as they have just worked the ball up the field only for a Cresswell cross to be blocked aside.
BLOCK! Superb block from Ogbonna to deny Ibrahimovic, who had a clean sight on goal but could not find the target. West Ham break and want a penalty when Payet's cross hit Herrera's hand, but there was not enough distance for Moss to award a penalty.
SAVE! Brilliant stop from Randolph to tip Lingard's shot around the post. Not quite sure how Man United are not ahead in this match, but that will remain the case for a little while longer yet because this first half is now officially up.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 WEST HAM UNITED
The two sides go into half time all square, then, following an entertaining first half at Old Trafford. Manchester United fell behind early on to Diafra Sakho's first goal of the season, coming in his second appearance, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit back to dent West Ham United's hopes of taking three points back to London.
West Ham were ahead inside just 90 seconds, scoring the second-fastest goal for a visiting side at Old Trafford in Premier League history thanks to Diafra Sakho's bullet header. Dimitri Payet floated in a free kick, given away needlessly by Jesse Lingard, and Sakho got ahead of marker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to open his scoring account in what has been an injury-hit campaign thus far. The hosts were putting together some patient passing moves, one of which ended with Juan Mata firing in his side's first shot which was right down the throat of Darren Randolph 15 minutes in.
It was another patient piece of play which led to the equaliser, as Paul Pogba lifted the ball over the opposition defence and Ibrahimovic simply glanced past Randolph to round off a 22-pass move. Despite seeing his side wrestle back control of the game and draw level, Jose Mourinho was unhappy with referee Jonathan Moss's decision to show Paul Pogba a yellow - ruling him out of the rematch between these two teams in the EFL Cup here next Wednesday - and kicked a water bottle on the sidelines. Moss inevitably sent the Portuguese to the stands, the second time he has done so in the space of 12 months, with assistant Rui Faria instead taking over for the remainder.
From that point on the Red Devils looked the only team likely to score a potentially decisive second in the remainder of the first half - Lingard flicking the ball over the bar from close range and Ibrahimovic glancing wide at the back post. Lingard was also denied by Randolph, again preferred to Adrian in goal this afternoon, late in the half, while Angelo Ogbonna threw his body on the line to block a goalbound strike from Ibrahimovic.
Man United's best chance fell the way of Marcus Rashford, though, who was slotted clean through on goal only to be thwarted by an inspired Randolph. All square at the midway point, then, with plenty to play for over the next 45 minutes. No Mourinho for the Red Devils, but will the hosts make any changes at the break?
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Blind, Fellaini, Schweinsteiger, Mkhitaryan, Rooney, Young
WEST HAM UNITED SUBS: Adrian, Nordtveit, Feghouli, Zaza, Ayew, Fletcher, Fernandes
RESTART! Manchester United get us back under way at Old Trafford, looking to make a brighter start than we saw in the opening 45 minutes. Ogbonna wins the first aerial dual of the second period for West Ham United, with the visitors sitting on this precious point.
The Irons the side dictating the tempo of this second half, surprisingly. Expected the home team to come out all guns blazing at Old Trafford, but they are a little reserved at the moment and looking to grow back into things.
Rojo with a high boot on Sakho leads to a little stoppage in play. Rashford was a tad unlucky just before that, producing a nice bit of skill but allowing the ball to just run out of play before he could get in a cross. A tight one to call, this.
CLOSE! Fair to say it has been a scrappy start to the second period, but there is no denying that West Ham have come out of the blocks the quicker - again! Plenty of space down the right-hand side but only a corner to show for their positive play, which Sakho loops over the bar.
SAVE! A real sense of Déjà vu, as Lingard gives away a free kick in an identical position to the opening minutes. On this occasion Payet tries to catch out De Gea by taking on the shot, but the Spaniard read it well and helped the ball over the bar.
West Ham come close from the corner, only for the ball to hit a red shirt near the line. A cross from the right from the next attacking move is then well collected by De Gea. The Irons really enjoying themselves at the moment.
Man United were on top for a good half-hour in the first half, but they are really struggling to get going in this second half. Mourinho - or Faria, if he is having the final say in the manager's absence - must surely be thinking about a change or two.
The hosts just starting to step things up at last, with Ogbonna happy to concede a throw. Still very patient in their build-up, but we are awaiting their first attempt of any sort since the restart. Just 30 minutes to go now.
Mkhitaryan and Rooney are both currently warming up on the sidelines, and are surely likely to be introduced shortly. Man United still not really offering a great deal, which is in stark contrast to the way they ended the first half.
Sakho with a brilliant flick past Rojo, but he has nobody to pick out and is soon closed down. The striker looks to have pulled up, in fact, and quickly signals to the bench to be replaced - another injury for Bilic to contend with!
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS! Wayne Rooney and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are both brought on for Man United, taking the places of Rashford and Mata - pretty much as expected, although Lingard perhaps a tad fortunate to stay on.
WEST HAM UNITED SUB! Ashley Fletcher, who joined Man United at the age of 13 before leaving last summer, comes on for the injured Sakho. Play is a little disjointed now, but can the Red Devils find their groove before it's too late?
SAVE! Some good play from Man United again, as Ibrahimovic's first-time pass finds Rooney in some space inside the box. The Englishman failed to really get the ball out of his feet, though, and Randolph got down to keep out in a routine manner.
The hosts finally out of first gear now thanks to that double change, with both the new players already making an impact. Rooney sprays a ball out to Valencia, who gets the beating of Cresswell but sees his cross turned behind for a corner.
SAVE! Mkhitaryan's shot is blocked by a visiting player inside the box, but only as far as Lingard on the edge of the box who rifles one down the middle, where Randolph was again in the right place to routinely keep it out.
WEST HAM UNITED SUB! Manuel Lanzini makes way for Andre Ayew, who is yet to really reach peak fitness since pulling up on the opening weekend of the campaign at Stamford Bridge. Fifteen minutes to go and it is the hosts who are now better positioned to go on and win this.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Celebrations cut short around Old Trafford as Lingard's tap-in from close range is adjudged to have come from an offside position. Mkhitaryan had hit the post, but just no way through for the hosts at the moment.
SAVE! Randolph far more involved in the game once again, as Mkhitaryan lays the ball off for Pogba who lets leash from 20 yards out. It was well positioned towards the bottom right, but Randolph was down to push it aside.
SAVES! Randolph denies Man United with another couple of saves, first to keep out Ibrahimovic's acrobatic attempt at the back post - which may have been going across the face of goal - before making a more straightforward stop.
CHANCE! West Ham have conceded their fair share of late goals this term, and there was almost another to add to the list when Ibrahimovic nodded the ball over Randolph and looked set to roll over the line, only for Cheikhou Kouyate to read the danger and clear before he could do so.
Not many supporters leaving Old Trafford early today, with this one very much still in the balance. Another chance about to be made for the hosts, who have deserved a winner over the last 15 minutes after really stepping things up.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Jesse Lingard, who thought he had scored a little earlier, is replaced by Marouane Fellaini for the final couple of minutes. A slight tweak in formation, too, presumably. Time fast running out now!
CHANCE! Well these scripts write themselves sometimes. Former Man United starlet Fletcher weaved right the way through but could not beat De Gea when clean through, with the Spaniard denying the 20-year-old a dream return to Old Trafford.
YELLOW CARD! Superb end to this game! West Ham now forward and come close to a late winner, as the ball is glanced back across to Fletcher. His flick is blocked aside and Man United clear, but Cresswell cynically prevents a quick counter and earns a yellow.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 WEST HAM UNITED
Referee Jonathan Moss blows for full time, meaning a fourth home draw in succession for Manchester United in the top flight. Not since 1980 has that happened, with this latest setback leaving them 11 points off the summit with nearly a third of the campaign gone. For West Ham United, on the other hand, they are now one point clear of the drop zone ahead of their EFL Cup tie here in three days' time.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Old Trafford. An on-the-whistle match report can be found by clicking here, while coverage from the late La Liga kickoff involving Barcelona will be getting under way shortly. Thanks for joining!
